Fallout 4 might be one of the most popular entries in the franchise, but many series fans consider Fallout: New Vegas to be the pinnacle of the Fallout games. I partially agree with that sentiment, especially when it comes to New Vegas‘ story. The narrative surrounding the battle for the titular city and the outer Mojave is deeply compelling, but there is one core feature that Fallout 4 nails and New Vegas falls short with: the wasteland itself.
Yes, the New Vegas story presents a deeply intriguing fight between warring factions, but when it comes to the actual exploration, Fallout 4 is the best Fallout game to scratch that particular itch. The Mojave Desert and Commonwealth wastelands are vastly different. Both settings have their own visual strengths and qualities that keep them unique in the franchise, but Fallout 4 simply manages to nail the wasteland immersion that made Fallout so good in the first place.
New Vegas Takes the Crown in Storytelling, But Fallout 4’s Wasteland Truly Feels Alive
There are a variety of things that Fallout 4 does worse than New Vegas, but there are still plenty of features that one-up the fan-favorite entry. Beyond the actual wasteland, Fallout 4‘s combat and overall gameplay loop are more satisfying, which plays into making the Commonwealth feel more lifelike. Once players leave the main city hub, the New Vegas wasteland map feels incredibly barren. I mean, it is a desert after all, so the sparseness at least makes sense to the location and allows the titular city to be the main attraction. However, the setting that makes New Vegas so compelling at times can also be just as much of a drawback.
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
It’s a strange double-edged sword, and it’s an issue that Fallout 4 doesn’t really have. Leaving main hubs like Diamond City doesn’t mean players are walking out into vast areas of nothingness. Of course, there are definitely desolate areas when exploring the Commonwealth, but these map portions still boast more detail, interesting encounters, and surprises to come across compared to New Vegas. Every Fallout 4 city and town feels lived in, making the wasteland itself feel like an extension of these areas instead of open spaces between hubs.
Fallout 4’s World Density Is Missing From New Vegas
Whether New Vegas‘ wasteland shortcomings were caused by the fact that Obsidian Entertainment was working on a tight deadline or it was the fault of the desert setting is up for debate. However, it’s abundantly clear when playing Fallout 4 and New Vegas that the former boasts more level density overall. One key aspect that I believe makes for some of the best open-world game design is whether a world has layers, and Fallout 4 excels at this.
Another major factor that Fallout 4‘s wasteland has going for it is the settlement-building mechanics that add an extra dose of believability to playing as a survivor.
New Vegas might have greater story depth, but Fallout 4‘s Commonwealth makes you actually feel like a survivor of the wasteland. Even just the ruins of Boston in Fallout 4 gives the feeling that this world is trapped in a seemingly hopeless situation. Every Fallout wasteland has its own defining features, and while Fallout 4 has its own central areas, every piece of the map feels like an interwoven tapestry that all combines in a far more satisfying way than New Vegas does.
Fallout 4 Is a Reminder That the Fallout Franchise’s Main Star Is the Wasteland
I fully agree that the Fallout 4 story doesn’t come close to New Vegas‘ political intrigue, but a good Fallout game doesn’t necessarily have to feature a strong narrative to be a great series entry. As part of the RPG genre, immersion is one of the most important aspects when it comes to overall gameplay. A strong story is simply the cherry on top of a good experience.
The setting that makes New Vegas so compelling at times can also be just as much of a drawback.
Fallout has always been defined by its various wasteland settings. Whether it’s New Vegas‘ Mojave or Fallout 76‘s Appalachia wasteland, these locations serve as the backbone for the entire game to be built from. The wasteland is the true heart of the Fallout franchise, so that ultimately needs to be the most satisfying part of exploring each entry’s world.
Fallout 4 and New Vegas Should Be the Fallout 5 Blueprint
There’s honestly no telling when an official Fallout 5 announcement will arrive, let alone a release date confirmation. At this rate, it’s very possible that Fallout 5 won’t debut until 2030 or later, but only time will tell. Regardless of launch window, Bethesda has two great blueprints found in Fallout 4 and New Vegas. Between the former’s layered world-building and level design and the latter’s strong, faction-charged narrative, Fallout 5 hopefully takes note of these two entries in order to bring forth the best Fallout game yet.
It’s been a long time since a fresh Fallout game has graced players, so all that can be done right now is wait and see what Bethesda has planned for the series next. Now that Obsidian is making a new Fallout game alongside Bethesda’s next mainline entry, it’s going to be fascinating to see how both projects approach wasteland design.
- Released
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November 10, 2015
- ESRB
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M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
